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Yellowstone Park employee, 22, dies after apparent rules violation

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22-year-old Yellowstone National Park employee Darien Latty, in an apparent rules violation, floated down the Yellowstone River with two other seasonal employees last week. He ended up paying with his life.
(A. Cutler/YellowstoneInsider.com)

Yellowstone National Park strictly prohibits floating on the Yellowstone River due to potential danger. Yet, 22-year-old park employee Darien Latty, in an apparent rules violation, floated down the Yellowstone River with two other seasonal employees last week.

The Demorest, Georgia, man went missing Monday after the group dropped their inner tubes in the Lamar River and floated to the confluence with the Yellowstone, the website writes.

It was there that a swift current knocked Latty from his inner tube and swept him down river. The three were not wearing life jackets, according to the website.

During the nearly week-long search, Latty's body was spotted from the air. It was partially submerged and pinned to a rock about one quarter mile downstream from where his peers last saw him, MyBigHornBasin.com writes.

The body was recovered during a delicate team effort involving kayaks, rafts and a helicopter, the website reports. An autopsy is pending.